Cotton-harvester.



No. 685,442. Patented Oct. 29, 19m.

A. CAMPBELL. COTTON HARVESTER.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1901.)

(No-Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No.685.442. Patented 0m. 29, I901. A. CAMPBELL.

COTTON HARVESTEB. (Application filed Apr. 15, 1901.) (No Monal.)

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N0. 685,442. Patented Oct. 29; I901. A. CAMPBELL.

canon 'HABVESTER. (Application filed Apr. 15, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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no. 685,442. Patented Oct. 29,1901.

' A. CAMPBELL.

COTTON HARVESTER.

(Application-filed App 15, 1901.) (Ila Model. 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

THE Norma PEYERS c0v PHOYQUTMQIIWASHKNGION. D, c.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ANGUS CAMPBELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'lO AMERICAN COTTONPICKER COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

-COTTON-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION'formingpart of Letters Patent No. 685,442, dated October29, 1901.

Application filed April 15, 1901. Serial No. 55,890. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGUS CAMPBELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates-,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinCotton-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton-harvesting machines ofthe type wherein picker stems or spindles are thrust into the plants togather the cotton and drawn longitndinally after leaving the plantsthrough stripper mechanism to slide the cotton from the stems.

- It also relates to improvements in cottonharvesting machines whereinthe picker-stemsare given a translating movement and thrustlongitudinally into the plants.

My improvements are adapted more espe- 2o cially for use in acotton-harvesting machine of my invention for which Letters Patent ofthe United States No.'542,.794 were granted July 16, 1895, and in thepresent drawings I have shown so much of a machine of that type 2 5 asis thought necessary to illustrate therewith the construction and modeof operation of my present improvements.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section through one of a pairof casings, which in practice are mounted upon suitable runninggear,from which the moving parts are actuated. For an understanding of theconstruction of the machine as a whole I draw attention to my aforesaidLetters Patent, and more 3 5 particularly to a separate concurrentapplication filed by me the 15th day of April, 1901, Serial No. 55,888.Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical cross-sections taken, respectively, on lines2 and 3 of Fig. 1 and viewed as indicated by the arrows; Fig. 4, abroken and partly-sectional elevation of the upper part ofpickerstem-cleaning mechanism; Fig. 5, a similar view of the lower partof said mechanism; Fig. 6, a view of one of the picker spindles 5 orstems; Fig. 7, a section on line 7 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a top plan view ofthe top bar of said stripper mechanism; Fig. 9, a bottom plan view ofone of a series of cleaning-arms; Fig. 10, a section taken on line 10 inFig. 9, and Fig. 11 a perspective view of one of a series of pickerstemstraightening and guid- Iing boards. r

A is the frame of one of the casings, which is provided along its innerside with a series of slats B, forming between them horizontal openin gsafor the passage of the picker-stems O. The picker-stem which I nowprefer to employ is shown most plainly in Figs. 6 and 7 and is describedand claimed in the application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 53,054.,6c filed by me March 27, 1901.. It has a shank b and a tapering stemportion 1), provided with a longitudinally-extending groove b The stemat oneside of this groove is formed with a series of serrations,producing cotton- 6 5 engaging teeth, which project part way over thegroove and are slantingly disposed to point in a direction at an acuteangle'toward the free end of the stem. The stems are mounted at theirshanks in vertical tubes or carriers D. In each casing A in theconstruction shown are fifteen carriers, each pro- .vided with elevenpicker-stems. In the carriers are driving-gears for rotating thespindies on their individual axes, the driving being effected by theengagement of pinions c on the carriers with the teeth of a stationaryrack-plate E, which teeth are in the forward edge and opposite ends ofthe rack-' plate.. The carriers are linked together by means of upperand lower chains F to travel an endless course, as indicated. On thecarriers are upward and spirally extending arms D, moving'at their freeends in an endless guide or race G, of the form shown in Fig. 1. On thepinions c are guide-lugs 0, adapted to slide against a guide H on therack-plate E. The guide H extends between the ends of the series ofteeth at the rear or straight edged side of the rack-plate. The 0 upperand lower endless chains, in which the carriers have their bearings, arerotated from" upper and lower sprocket-wheels d e on fora v ward andrear vertical shafts I 1, respec-. tively, and the carriers and spindlesare 5 moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. The drivingmechanism and cam-guides for the carriers operate to translate themaround the two centers formed by the shafts I I, whereby thepicker-stems are thrust longitu- Ioo dinally into the cotton-plants toan extended position and rotated and moved with the carriers along astraight course in the backward direction and then withdrawnlongitudinally out of the plants and through stripper mechanism K. Thedrive mechanism is so regulated with relation to the running-gear of themachine from which it is operated that the carriers move in the backwarddirection at the same speed approximately as the forward movement of themachine, whereby when the picker-stems are thrust into the plants theyremain in a position substantially stationary therewith for a prolongedtime and while rotating on their individual axes until withdrawn fromthe plants.

The stripping mechanism K and spiked roller K (shown in Fig. 1) arefully described in a separate concurrent application filed by me on the15th day of April, 1901, Serial No. 55,889. It will suffice to say thatthe stripper mechanism consists of a series of strippingslats, betweenwhich the stems are drawn longitudinally before the translating movementthereof at the forward end of the machine.

Although the picker-stems while in the plants are stationary or nearlystationary therewith, they are apt while rotating to contact with thestems or branches of the cottonplants and become coated with sap, whichtends to clog the teeth of the picker-stems, and thus prevent theirtaking proper hold of the cotton in the plants.

The first object of my present invention is to provide means forcleaning the pickerstems when desired of any sap or the like that mayadhere thereto and interfere with their function. As the picker-stemsare thrust outward through the openings at between the slats B, there isdanger that they may strike the stems of plants in such a way as tobecomebent. Suchbendingofthepicker-stems, particularly if near theshanks, will tend to interfere with their passing through the openings aand also with their proper relative positions when extended into theplants.

The second object of my present invention is to provide means forstraightening the picker-stems in the event that they become bent and toinsure their passing without obstruction through the openings a.

I will first describe the ste m-cleanin g means, which is located in thepath of the stems beyond the stripper mechanism in both of the casings.

L is a stationary hollow shaft confined at its lower end in abearing-cup f in the base of the casing and held at its upper end in anopening through a bracket g, secured in the upper part of the frame.Fastened to the top bars, which form part of the upper frame of themachine, is a bar h, shaped as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. The bar it has anopening h, at which it is pivoted by a bolt g to the frame, and in itsopposite end it has an opening, at which it may be fastened with a pinor bolt 9 The hollow shaft L is internally threaded, as shown at 2',along its upper end portion to receive a screw it on a stem providedwith an operating-handle 70 On the stem 70 is a flange k and between thesaid flange and threaded shank portion 70 ithas a reduced neck 7.6 Asocket 7L2 inthe bar h is adapted to embrace the neck 70 to hold thescrew against raising or lowering when it is turned. The engagement ofthe screw with the threads t in the shaft L causes it when the handle 70is turned to raise or lower the shaft L in its bearings f 9. Below thebar his a steadyingbar Z, having a perforated and divided head Z fittingaround the shaft L. The divided head forms a clamp, tightened by meansof a screw to fasten the bar Z to the shaft. At its free end the bar Ienters a vertical guidegroove m on a stationary portion of the frame A.As the shaft L is raised and lowered for the purpose hereinafterexplained the free end of the bar l will move up and down in theguide-groove m, but hold the shaft against axial movement. Just abovethe path of each of the eleven picker-stemsO on each carrier is an armL, having a perforated clampinghead a adjustably fastened to the shaftLby means of a clamping-screw it. Each arm L is ribbed upon its upperside and provided on its under side with a longitudinally-extendingchannel a to receive a strip of carding of, which is held in place bymeans of inwardlyprojecting clamp-plates n fastened to the arm atopposite edges of the carding-strip. The carding-strip may be a wirebrush of common construction. The arms L, carrying the card ing orbrushes on their under sides,- form picker-stem cleaners adjustable toextend across the paths of the picker-stems, as shown in Fig. 1. Therotating mechanism for the picker-stems is so constructed that when theaxial rotation of the stems is stopped before or as they pass throughthe stripper mechanism the engagement of the lugs c with the guide Hcauses the serrations to be present ed at the upper sides of the stems.In the present drawings I have shown picker-stems each having but onelongitudinal series of teeth. If stems are provided with two or threeseries of teeth, the gearing between the pinions c and stems to drivethe latter may be so arranged that in successive movements of the lugs cto the guide H the series of teeth on the stems would be turnedsuccessively to the uppermost or cleaning position. When it is desiredto clean the teeth of the stems, the shaft L is lowered, as described,by turning the handle k until the brushes or carding extend in the pathof the stems. In the travel of the carriers the stems are drawnlongitudinally and may be swung more or less laterally against thebrushes or carding,which will enter between the teeth and remove all sapand the like therefrom. It is only necessary to bring the cleaningmechanism into operation occasionally, and therefore when all thepicker-stems have been cleaned or wiped, as stated, the shaft L may beraised to raise the wipers or brushes out of the paths of thepicker-stems.

I will next describe the picker-stem straightening and guiding meansbefore mentioned. In the main frame of the casing I provide stationaryvertical bars 19 p.

M M are horizontal and parallel plates or boards constructed,preferably, as shown in the perspective view, Fig. '11. Each board isfastened at its edge 0 to the barp and at its edge 4- to the bars 19. Atthe edge 4* each board M is of a thickness corresponding, preferably,with the width of the slats B, and the edges register with the slats,whereby the horizontal spaces between the boards register with theopenings a between slats. The boards taper in thickness preferably fromthe edges 0" to or nearly to the edges 1". The forward edge of eachboard M is formed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 11, with a projecting part rand preferably concave parts 1"? 1". When the boards are renderedtapering, as described, the openings or passages between them at theedges r are wider in the vertical plane than the openings at betweenslats.

In operation when a picker-stem is in the position 00, Fig. 1, it startsto enter between the guide-boards M at the projecting portions r Thusthe part of the stem near its shank portion first enters the openingsand the free end of the stem is the last to enter. In case the stem isbent it will not be so far out of a straight line at its shank portionas at its free end. The shank portions of the stems as they are providedwould not stand being bentto a greater angle than the openings betweenboards at r would admit without the stems being broken oif in theplants. When a shank enters between the projections W, the rest of thestem must enter, even though it has to be bent toward the straight lineby contact with a boardsurface. When the stem passes the position shownby the next stem in full lines in Fig. 1, the pinion o of the respectivecarrier engages the rack E, and the spindle is revolved as it progressesfarther through the opening between boards. This rotation tends tostraighten the stem, if bent, by rotating it against the surfaces of theboards, and the stem is guided through the respective slot 0. Withoutdanger of its striking vand injuring any of the slats D. If desired, theopenings between boards at the edges 1 maybe somewhat more contractedthan the openings ct, whereby when the stem has become bent in a plantits passage one or more times between the guide-boards will have theefiect of rendering it-perfectly straight, or substan tially so.

Except for the possible breaking of an cecasional picker stem in a plantthe only things that can happen to the stems themselves to interferewith their perfect operation are their becoming bent or clogged with sapor the like. My improvements described overcome these difficulties, andalthough I cleaning device for the said stems, supported insaid path.

2. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with serrated cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for moving them operatively along an endless pathand for stripping the gathered cotton therefrom,of a sapremovin gtoothcleaning device and means for adjusting it into and out of saidpath. 7

3. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with serrated cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for moving them operatively along an endless pathand for stripping the gath ered cotton therefrom, of a sap removingtooth-cleaning brush for the said stems supported in said path.

4:. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with serratedcotton-gathering picker-stems and means for moving them operativelyalong an endless path and for stripping the gathered cotton therefrom,of a sap -removing tooth-cleaning wire brush for the said stems,-supported in said path.

5. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series oftraveling carriers supporting horizontal series of cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for stripping the gathered cotton from the stems,of a sapremoving cleaning device presenting a tooth cleaner in the pathof each of said horizontal series of stems.

6. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series oftravelingcarriers supporting horizontal series of cotton-gathm eringpicker-stems and means for stripping the gathered cotton from the stems,of a cleaning device provided with a sap-removing tooth-cleaning brushin the path of each of the said horizontal series of stems. A 7. In acotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series of. travelingcarriers Ice IIO

the stems are drawn in the movement of the carriers.

8. In a cotton-harvester, the combination:

with an endless series of traveling carriers supporting horizontalseries of cotton-gaththe gathered cotton from the stems, of asapremoving cleaning device comprising a relatively stationary support,arms on the support and brushes on the arms across which the stems aredrawn in the movement of the carriers, the support being adjustable tomove the brushes into and out of operative position.

9. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series oftraveling carriers supporting horizontal series of cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for stripping the gathered cotton from the stems,of a stationary support, arms on the support extending between the pathsof said stems, and sapremoving brushes fastened against said arms toproject into the paths of said stems.

10. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series ofcarriers, serrated cotton-gatherin g picker-stems on the carriers andmeans for stripping the gathered cotton from the stems, of a relativelystationary toothcleaning and sap-removing device for and in the path ofsaid stems, and propelling and turning means for the carriers operatingto draw the stems longitudinally across said de vice.

11. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series ofcarriers, serrated cotton-gathering picker-stems on the carriers andmeans for stripping the gathered cotton from the stems, of a relativelystationary toothcleaning and sap-removing device for the said stems, andpropelling and turning means for the carriers operating to draw thestems longitudinally and laterally across said device.

12. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series ofcarriers, serrated cotton-gathering picker-stems on the carriers, and astripping device for the stems, of a relatively stationarytooth-cleaning device for and in the path of said stems in theirmovement beyond the stripping device, and propelling and turning meansfor the carriers op erating to draw the stems across said cleaningdevice.

13. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with an endless series ofcarriers, cotton-gatherin g picker-stems on the carriers havinglongitudinal series of teeth and means for stripping the gathered cottonfrom the stems, of brush-supports extending between the paths of saidstems, sap-removing brushes on the supports to engage the said stems atone side, and guiding, propelling and turning means for the carriers andstems, operating to move the stems at their toothed sides across thebrushes.

14. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with the cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for moving them operatively along an endlesspath, of a straightening device for the said stems supported along saidpath.

15. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with the cotton-gatheringpicker-stems and means for moving them operatively along an endlesspath, of a straightening device for the said stems comprising parallelboards presenting walls at opposite sides of said path between which thestems rotate, as set forth.

16. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with a casing having a sideformed with slats presenting horizontal longitudinally-extendingopenings between them, and endless series of traveling carriers in thecasing pro vided with rotary picker-stems movable outward through saidopenings, of parallel stem straightening and guiding boards in theeasing extending along opposite sides of the paths of the stems to saidslats, substantially as set forth.

17. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with a casing having a sideformed with slats presenting longitudinally-extending openings betweenthem, and endless series of traveling carriers in the casing providedwith rotary picker-stems movable in a direction 1ongitudinally andlaterally through saidopenin gs as they are thrust into thecotton-plants, of parallel picker-stem-guiding boards in the casingextending along opposite sides of the path of the stems to said slats.

18. In a cotton-harvester, substantially as described, a series ofstationary and parallel picker-stem-straightening guide-boards forminggradually-reduced guide-openings between them for the passage of thestems, and means for rotating the stems during their passage betweensaid boards.

19. In a cotton-harvester, substantially as described, a series ofstationary and parallel pickerstem-straightening guide-boards forminggradually-reducing guide-openings for the passage of the stems, andprovided with the initial shank-guiding projections 1' and means forrotating the stems during their passage between the guide-boards.

20. In a cotton-harvester, substantially as described, a series ofstationary and approximately parallel pickerstem -straighteningguide-boards M of gradually-increasing thickness and having the edges rr with the projecting edge portion 1' between them, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ANGUS CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT D. BACOI,

WM. B. DAVIES.

